SkyWest takes strategic minority stake in Southern Airways

Southern Airways, parent of Mississippi-based commuter Southern Airways Express and Hawaii-based commuter Mokulele Airlines, has announced a strategic minority investment by SkyWest, parent of Utah-based regional SkyWest. Southern chairman and CEO Stan Little called the investment a “win-win solution” for both companies. Many of Southern’s 200 pilots aspire to advance their careers at regional and mainline carriers, according to the company. Southern views the investment by SkyWest—the largest regional carrier in the world by fleet size, passengers served and total destinations—as a means to enhance its recruiting capabilities by offering a career pathway that would see recruits graduate from flight school through its cadet program and ultimately on to careers at SkyWest. SkyWest CCO Wade Steel said, “Putting a pilot pathway program in place with Southern enhances our pipeline of future Part 121 professional aviators.”<br/>